Workplace indoor radon survey in Nova Scotia, Canada

Abstract

Radon is a naturally occurring gas emitted from the radioactive decay of uranium. A systematic radon assessment carried out in Nova Scotia (NS) has shown that many areas in the province are radon prone due to elevated levels of natural radioactivity in soil. Very little occupational radon data is available for NS, so this survey was designed to collect basic radon information from several NS workplaces in a nonrandomized fashion. Twenty three workplaces were contacted for participation in the study, and 21 participated for a 91% participation rate. The survey was conducted by placing 170 alpha track detectors within 21 workplaces for a minimum three-month sampling period and comparing the results with the Canadian Guidelines for the Management of Naturally Occurring Radioactive Materials (NORM) and the Health Canada Guidelines. The results indicated that 19 of the workplaces had average radon concentrations below 150 Bqm −3 , with only two workplaces having at least one measurement above this concentration. Both workplaces with elevated measurements had fewer than 25 employees and a lack of mechanical ventilation. The range of results for all workplaces was from −2.0 to 202.1 Bqm −3 , with an overall average of 25.7 Bqm −3 for all workplaces. Future surveys should focus on small workplaces (<25 employees) with a lack of mechanical ventilation.